Pakistan and India urged to withdraw troops to peacetime locations in Siachen

The Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society has demanded that Pakistan and India should withdraw all troops to peacetime locations in Siachen conflict zone as cordial relations between two countries should not remain confined to politics and trade.
The stand-off is claiming precious lives and its impact on environment as well as economies of Pakistan and India could not be ignored, PESS stressed. These demands were made in a meeting of PESS chaired by its President Lieutenant General Faiz Ali Chishti (Retd) in Rawalpindi on Sunday.
The participants said it was discouraging that the President being supreme commander of the Army, Prime Minister of Pakistan and Defence Minister had not expressed any sympathy with families of the victims of Giyari sector.
Rather, the President opted to go on a private visit to India at the time when the nation was feeling the pain and grief for those who sacrificed their lives defending Pakistan.
The government was yet to announce any package for the mourning families and even the National Assembly failed to sympathise with the aggrieved families, it was observed.
However, the participants appreciated the role of media on Giyari incident.
Other office bearers including Commodore M Farooq Mirza, Brigadier Nusrat Jahan Saleem, Sqn Leader Liaquat Ali Ansari, Lieutenant Colonel Ms Almas Umer and Lieutenant Colonel M Tariq Kamal and a large number of members were also present on the occasion.
The meeting advised General Pervez Musharraf (Retd), one of the members of PESS, to come to Pakistan and face charges in the courts. PESS would extend a helping hand only after the former president got himself cleared of all charges, it was decided.
The stubborn American attitude would in no way help normalise tense Pakistan-America relations, the meeting observed.
A resolution was passed that Nato supply should not be reopened unless US stopped drone strikes in Pakistan and officially apologised for the unprovoked attack of November 26, 2011 on Salala check-post, which claimed 24 lives.
Pensions of all ex-servicemen should be equal for the same rank irrespective of the time of retirement. The participants demanded that the government should remove all discrepancies immediately and start paying the pension on the basis of "One Rank, One Pension".
After the successful completion of district and provincial elections of PESS, it was decided that election for the president of PESS would be held on June 10, 2012. The meeting ended with prayers for the troops trapped in Gayari sector.